Sign support for retail merchandising shelves

Abstract

An open wire frame sign support for mounting at the forward edge region of a customer accessible merchandising shelf. A wire bracket is configured for attachment to the forward edge region of the shelf which incorporates a slot defining assembly within which is disposed a stop member below which a loose hinging component is defined and above which an upwardly open slot is formed. A rectangular wire frame is provided having a centrally lower disposed hinge support from which angularly outwardly extend a lower disposed hinge loop which engages the lower hinging component of the slot in a loose hinging fashion and a tongue member which is hand moveable into engagement with the open slot of the bracket.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. Sign support apparatus for attachment at the forward edge region of a shelf, comprising: 
       a bracket connectable at said shelf forward edge region having a forwardly disposed vertically extending hinge component extending from a bottom surface to define a slot with an upwardly open top;  
       a stop member fixed within said slot upwardly a latching distance from said bottom surface to define a retention component and spaced downwardly from said slot top a receiver distance to define an open receiver slot;  
       a sign support frame having a bottom edge, a top edge, oppositely disposed side members and an intermediately disposed hinge support extending from said bottom edge;  
       a hinge loop fixed to and extending from said frame hinge support and having a first engagement portion extending through and moveable within said bracket retention component from a location adjacent said hinge component bottom surface into freely abutting engagement with said stop member; and  
       a tongue member fixed to and extending from said frame hinge support spaced above said first hinge loop and having a second engagement portion positionable at a vertical location over said slot top when said first engagement portion is in said abutting contact with said stop member and slideably moveable from said vertical location downwardly within said open receiver slot into abutting contact with said stop member.  
     
     
       2. The sign support of  claim 1  further comprising: 
       a sign retainer having a flat sign support face extending between rearwardly disposed upper and lower support channels respectively slideable over said support frame top edge and bottom edge.  
     
     
       3. The sign support of  claim 2  in which: 
       said sign retainer upper and lower channels are configured with inwardly crimped, inwardly disposed edges compressibly engageable with said support frame side member.  
     
     
       4. The sign support of  claim 1  in which: 
       said hinge loop first engagement portion and said tongue member second engagement portion are symmetrically disposed about a common plane.  
     
     
       5. The sign support of  claim 1  in which: 
       said hinge loop comprises an open wire loop having first and second oppositely disposed parallel elongate sides, said first side being weldably coupled with said sign support frame hinge support, and said second side defining said first engagement portion.  
     
     
       6. The sign support of  claim 1  in which: 
       said bracket hinge component comprises first and second spaced apart inward wire hinge components extending vertically downwardly along said shelf edge region and being bent upwardly to form said bottom surface, extending therefrom as respective first and second vertically upwardly disposed forward components to provide said upwardly open top defining said slot.  
     
     
       7. The sign support of  claim 6  in which: 
       said stop member is an elongate wire weldably connected between said first and second spaced apart inward and forward hinge components.  
     
     
       8. The sign support of  claim 1  in which: 
       said tongue member comprises an open wire loop having first and second oppositely disposed parallel elongate sides, said first side being weldably coupled with said sign support frame hinge support, and said second side defining said second engagement portion.  
     
     
       9. The sign support of  claim 1  in which: 
       said sign support frame comprises an open wire frame, said bottom edge said top edge and said oppositely disposed side member defining an open wire rectangle, said hinge support being formed as inwardly upwardly bent, spaced apart component of said bottom edge.  
     
     
       10. The sign support of  claim 9  further comprising: 
       a polymeric sign retainer having a flat sign support face extending between integrally formed rearwardly disposed upper and lower support channels respectively slideable over said support frame wire top edge and wire bottom edge.  
     
     
       11. The sign support of  claim 10  in which: 
       said sign retainer upper and lower channels are configured with inwardly depending edges compressibly engageable with said sign support frame oppositely disposed side members.  
     
     
       12. The sign support of  claim 1  in which: 
       said hinge loop first engagement portion and said tongue member second engagement portion are symmetrically disposed about a common plane; and  
       said hinge loop and said tongue member are symmetrically disposed within mutually spaced parallel planes.  
     
     
       13. The sign support of  claim 1  in which: 
       said hinge loop first engagement portion and said tongue member second engagement portion are symmetrically disposed about a common plane; and  
       said hinge loop and said tongue member are symmetrically disposed within planes which mutually intersect at an intersection angle providing a tilting of said sign support frame when said tongue member second engagement portion is in said abutting contact with said stop member.  
     
     
       14. The sign support of  claim 1  in which: 
       said bracket comprises a top plate having at least one aperture formed therein, an inward hinge component extending vertically downwardly along said shelf edge region and being bent upwardly to form said bottom surface, extending upwardly therefrom to define a vertical forward hinge component to provide said upwardly open top defining said slot.  
     
     
       15. The sign support of  claim 14  in which said stop member comprises: 
       two horizontally spaced apart generally spherical members weldably connected between said inward hinge component and said forward hinge component.  
     
     
       16. The sign support of  claim 14  in which: 
       said bracket top plate, said inward hinge component and said forward hinge component are mutually integrally formed of sheet material.  
     
     
       17. Sign support apparatus for attachment at the forward edge region of a shelf, comprising: 
       a bracket connectable with said shelf at said forward edge region, comprising first and second spaced apart inward wire hinge components extending vertically downwardly along said shelf edge region to a bottom location and being bent upwardly therefrom to define respective third and fourth vertically disposed outward wire hinge components spaced from respective said first and second inward hinge components to define a slot;  
       a stop member configured on a wire coupled within said slot, coupled between said first inward and third outward hinge components and between said second inward and fourth outward hinge components and positioned a vertical distance above said bottom location to define an elongate closed portion of said slot and further defining the bottom of an upwardly open receiving portion of said slot;  
       an open wire sign support frame having a bottom edge, top edge and oppositely disposed side edges defining an open wire rectangle and including a hinge support formed as inwardly, upwardly bent, spaced apart components of said bottom edge;  
       an open wire hinge loop having first and second oppositely disposed parallel sides, said first side being weldably coupled with said sign support frame hinge support, and said second side extending through said elongate closed portion of said slot and slideable therein substantially along said vertical distance above said bottom portion into and out of freely abuttable contact with said stop member; and  
       an open wire tongue member having first and second oppositely disposed parallel sides, said first side being weldably coupled with said sign support frame at a location spaced above said hinge loop and positionable at a vertical location over and aligned with said upwardly open receiving portion of said slot.  
     
     
       18. The sign support apparatus of  claim 17  in which: 
       a sign retainer having a flat sign support face extending between rearwardly disposed upper and lower support channels respectively slideable over said support frame top edge and bottom edge.  
     
     
       19. The sign support apparatus of  claim 17  in which: 
       said open wire hinge loop second side and said tongue member second side are symmetrically disposed about a common plane.  
     
     
       20. The sign support apparatus of  claim 17  in which: 
       said open wire hinge loop second side and said tongue member second side are symmetrically disposed about a common plane; and  
       said hinge loop and said tongue member are symmetrically disposed within mutually spaced apart parallel planes.  
     
     
       21. The sign support apparatus of  claim 17  in which: 
       said open wire hinge loop second side and said tongue member second side are symmetrically disposed about a common plane; and  
       said hinge loop and said tongue member are symmetrically disposed within planes which mutually intersect at an intersection angle providing a tilting of said sign support frame when said tongue member second side is in abutting adjacency with said stop member.  
     
     
       22. The sign support apparatus of  claim 17  in which: 
       said open wire hinge loop second side and said tongue member second side are symmetrically disposed about a common plane; and  
       said hinge loop and said tongue member are symmetrically disposed within planes which mutually intersect forwardly of said shelf forward edge region at an intersection angle effecting a forward tilting of said sign support frame when said tongue member second side is in abutting contact with said stop member.  
     
     
       23. The sign support apparatus of  claim 17  in which: 
       said open wire hinge loop second side and said tongue member second side are symmetrically disposed about a common plane; and  
       said hinge loop and said tongue member are symmetrically disposed within planes which mutually intersect rearwardly of said shelf forward edge region at an intersection angle effecting a rearward tilting of said sign support.  
     
     
       24. The sign support apparatus of  claim 17  in which: 
       a polymeric sign retainer having a flat sign support face extending between integrally formed rearwardly disposed upper and lower support channels respectively slideable over said support frame wire top edge and wire bottom edge.  
     
     
       25. The sign support apparatus of  claim 24  in which: 
       said sign retainer upper and lower channels are configured with inwardly depending edges compressibly engageable with said sign support frame oppositely disposed side members.